Communication breakdown put firemedic at risk

The Daily Times – www.delmarvanow.com – Salisbury, Md.
ACCOMAC — Beaten and dazed, the paid Accomack County firefighter-paramedic locked himself inside the ambulance while the man he had been called to assist used a medical bag to hit the vehicle’s window, trying to gain entry.

When the firemedic’s partner ran next door to telephone police, a neighbor ran outside with a gun to lend assistance.

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Because the county’s Department of Public Safety lacks the funding for field-level supervisors, the two-person firemedic team had no access to supervisory personnel during the incident — the staffer locked in the ambulance used a personal cell phone to call an off-duty captain at a private function to inform him of the assault.

A report released last week by the Accomack County Department of Public Safety sheds light on a harrowing Feb. 4 incident in New Church and shows the vague patient information and communication breakdowns involved.

It also includes a list of recommendations for the department, the Eastern Shore 911 Communica-tions Center and the Accomack County Sher-iff’s Office aimed at preventing similar incidents, including the need for the dispatch center to develop policies for on-the-scene emergencies.

Beach’s proposed budget freezes tax rate, limits raises

Beach’s proposed budget freezes tax rate, limits raises | HamptonRoads.com | PilotOnline.com
VIRGINIA BEACH

No increases in real estate tax rates, the smallest public pay raises in 15 years and the revival of the boat tax highlight the city budget proposal unveiled Tuesday night.

The two-year budget – covering fiscal years 2009 and 2010 – would keep the real estate tax rate at 89 cents per $100 of assessed value, but it would raise nearly 50 fees on city services.

Budget highlights include:

- Another attempt at a boat tax of $1 per $100 of assessed value. City Manager Jim Spore tried to get the same levy passed last year, but the City Council balked. The tax would raise about $900,000.

- The elimination of merit pay raises. Instead, most employees would get a 1.5 percent general pay increase, and city administrators would have $1.9 million to spread around as bonuses for good performance or hard-to-fill jobs.

Easter morning punctuated by three-alarm fire in Richmond

Easter morning punctuated by three-alarm fire in Richmond | NBC12 | Virginia News
Dozens of Richmond firefighters spent their Easter morning battling a difficult blaze after a three-alarm fire broke out inside a medical office building near the intersection of Grove and Hamilton.

Crews battled the flames that destroyed the office building for more than four hours. They said the fire broke out sometime before 2:30 a.m. and wasn’t under control until nearly 7 a.m.

Firefighters say it was a tough blaze to fight. Investigators believe the fire started long before someone called it in and was at full strength by the time they arrived.

Fire Destroys Richmond Medical Facility

WRIC Richmond News and Weather – Fire Destroys Richmond Medical Facility
Richmond fire officials monitored hot spots all morning after an early morning blaze at a medical office building.

The 3-alarm fire broke out around 2:30 Sunday morning at the intersection of North Hamilton and Grove Streets.

A spokesperson from Richmond fire says they’re not sure how long the fire was burning before they arrived, but it appeared to have a good head start.

Fire was hiding in the walls and the crawl space which also made it very difficult to fight. At one point it got so intense and out of control the chiefs on scene temporarily called everyone off.

National Weather Service issues fire danger warning

National Weather Service issues fire danger warning | HamptonRoads.com | PilotOnline.com
The ban on open burning has been lifted in Chesapeake and Norfolk officials have said the levels in their reservoirs are above normal, but officials at the National Weather Service are warning that conditions today could pose a fire danger.

In a hazardous weather statement this morning, the weather service was warning that blustery winds are expected to continue today, with gusts as high as 40 mph, according to the service’s Web site.

Apartment fire started in bedroom closet

Apartment fire started in bedroom closet — dailypress.com
HAMPTON – An apartment in Hampton caught fire today, but no one was injured.

The fire on North Armistead Avenue was reported around 11:30 a.m. Fire marshal Anne-Marie Loughran said the fire began in a bedroom closet, but no cause has been determined.

The apartment’s lone resident had left to do his laundry, and a neighbor came to tell him that his apartment was on fire.

Candle starts fire in Hampton home

Candle starts fire in Hampton home | TOP STORIES | WVEC.com | News for Hampton Roads, Virginia
HAMPTON — A candle burning in a bathroom started a fire that destroyed a man’s home.

Thick smoke and flames poured from the one-story home on Rosalee Drive as firefighters arrived around 12:30 a.m. Wednesday.

The homeowner got out safely.

He said a decorative candle had exploded and the fire quickly spread through the home.

Firefighter tattoo artist is leaving an indelible mark

Fredericksburg.com – Firefighter tattoo artist is leaving an indelible mark
The first thing you notice about firefighter Donnie Wedding is his art. It’s hard not to. Nearly every visible patch of his skin is covered with it. His fingers, hands, forearms and neck all sport intricate color tattoos–some of them fire-themed–that he designed himself. When it comes to his profession and his passion, Wedding wears them both as his sleeves.

In fire-fighting circles, Wedding is a bit of a celebrity. He has created countless T-shirts and patches for a number of local fire companies, and his murals adorn the walls of three local firehouses. Walk into a station in Spotsylvania, Stafford, or Fredericksburg and ask if anyone knows Donnie Wedding. You will likely be greeted by a fair number of rolled-up shirtsleeves exposing custom-designed tattoos.

Blaze destroys home built prior to Revolutionary War

DailyProgress.com | Blaze destroys home built prior to Revolutionary War
Blaze destroys home built prior to Revolutionary War

A fire, a murder, a real-life whodunit

A fire, a murder, a real-life whodunit – News – inRich.com
A fire, a murder, a real-life whodunit

Arson suspected in Mill Mountain fires

Arson suspected in Mill Mountain fires – Roanoke.com
A cluster of fires that broke out along a trail on the eastern side of Mill Mountain on Sunday evening has raised suspicions of arson.

“When you have five fires in five different areas with no ignition point, it’s a pretty good indication, it’s almost a surefire bet” of arson, said Dave Hoback, Roanoke Fire/EMS chief.

Audit leads to new practices for Norfolk firefighters

Audit leads to new practices for Norfolk firefighters | HamptonRoads.com | PilotOnline.com
The fire captain wanted to check on his rental property after the police called and told him someone had broken in. So the captain and a crew of firefighters boarded a fire engine and drove it to the apartment.

On another occasion, the same captain got fellow firefighters to load bricks and lumber on a fire truck, then unload them at his furniture company during their workday.

The captain and his crew were on duty at the time.

Both incidents, revealed in an internal audit along with the fact that the fire department had skirted contracting rules, prompted Norfolk leaders to create new policies for Fire-Rescue workers.

A fire leaves a Hampton family without a home.

WAVY TV 10 – News, Weather, Traffic, Sports for Hampton Roads, Virginia – North Eastern North Carolina – A fire leaves a Hampton family without a home.
HAMPTON, VA. (WAVY.COM) “It’s a call every mother dreads, and with me working in Virginia Beach, it was the longest ride of my life.” That’s how Rebecca Powers felt when she got the call that her home in Hampton was on fire.

She said her 7 year old son Calvin was trying to plug in his charger for his remote controlled car when sparks flew out the electrical outlet setting his comforter on fire.

Grandview Nature Reserve Brushfire

WTKR NewsChannel 3: News, Weather and Traffic in Hampton Roads and North Carolina | Grandview Nature Reserve Brushfire
The Hampton Fire Department is on scene battling a brushfire at Grandview Nature Reserve.

Grandview is located at Beach St. and State Park Dr.

According to Fire Marshal Ann-Marie Loughran, the brushfire has been burning since 3:30pm and the fire department have called in its fireboat, Marine 5, and several brush trucks including one form Newport News to assist.

Approximately five to seven acres have burned.

Fire at VA Medical Center in Hampton

Fire at VA Medical Center in Hampton — dailypress.com
HAMPTON – An unoccupied building at the Veteran’s Administration Medical Center in Hampton caught fire last night, but no one was hurt.

Hampton fire marshal Anne-Marie Loughran said the building, located on Emancipation Drive near the Hampton University campus, was reported on fire at 11:36 p.m. Loughran said firefighters battled it for more than an hour before putting the fire out.

Two firefighters disciplined, one fired after alleged hazing incident

Two firefighters disciplined, one fired after alleged hazing incident | TOP STORIES | WVEC.com | News for Hampton Roads, Virginia
Two firefighters disciplined, one fired after alleged hazing incident

Two fires in Hanover; investigators look into possible link

Two fires in Hanover; investigators look into possible link | NBC12 | Home
By Tara Morgan, NBC12 News

Authorities found a body in the garage of one of two homes that caught fire. The sheriff’s department now says physical evidence points to suicide and the person’s identity will not be released. Authorities say the two fires are directly related.

Doris Paulus got up earlier than normal Monday for a doctor’s appointment. Her curiosity took her down a different path. Paulus says, “The flames were coming out the left door. All of a sudden, ‘bang, bang,’ I guess the windows were blowing out.”

Paulus called 911.

Ambulance Fire Heroes

Ambulance Fire Heroes | WSLS 10
“You could just hear a loud, bang, explosion,” Jeff Prouix said.
That sound came from inside a Greenbrier West Virginia ambulance as it pulled into Roanoke Memorial last June.
“I turned around and the back doors were opening up, and you could just see smoke coming out,” he said.
That’s when Prouix and three other men, all Roanoke City Fire and EMS workers, came to the rescue.
Prouix and Adam Fleming grabbed fire extinguishers while David Lucas pulled out the patient.

Warehouse fire may continue to burn through the night

WAVY TV 10 – News, Weather, Traffic, Sports for Hampton Roads, Virginia – North Eastern North Carolina – Warehouse fire may continue to burn through the night
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va (WAVY.com) — As millions of gallons of water flow out of Allied Technology’s Warehouse, even more is being pumped in.

“There’s approximately 2-3,000 gallons a minute going on right now,” said Virginia Beach Battalion Chief, David Hutcheson.

Still, more than 8 hours after it began, the fire inside the Allied Technology building continues to burn.

“At this point, what we got is the computers and everything else burnt down to a molten pile,” said Hutcheson.

Fire, rescue report cites strides, but majority of night calls still aren’t answered by ‘first due’

Fire, rescue report cites strides, but majority of night calls still aren’t answered by ‘first due’ on OurValley.org
While the volunteer fire and rescue organizations have made great strides in service in the past few years, Botetourt County continues to struggle with response times and with numbers of persons available to respond to requests for assistance during certain times of the week, according to a new emergency services strategic report presented to the Board of Supervisors Tuesday.

Calls for mutual aid from neighboring jurisdictions continue. “It has become a routine daily practice to have EMS incidents roll over to mutual aid agencies without any response from the first-due agency,” the report states. The first due agency in Botetourt County responds to 47 percent of the calls during the daytime and 68 percent of calls at nighttime.

Beach firefighters challenged in stopping fire near Town Center

Beach firefighters challenged in stopping fire near Town Center | HamptonRoads.com | PilotOnline.com
VIRGINIA BEACH

Firefighters working a stubborn factory fire near Town Center experienced tense moments Monday when a door collapsed, and they were forced to evacuate from the building.

No serious injuries were reported during the more-than-three-alarm blaze at Allied Technology Group Inc. Officials said two people were treated for minor injuries, including a firefighter who complained of smoke inhalation and later returned to duty.

Fire marshals find marijuana in Suffolk home; charges considered

Fire marshals find marijuana in Suffolk home; charges considered | HamptonRoads.com | PilotOnline.com
SUFFOLK

A family that lost its home in a house fire Sunday could face criminal charges after firefighters found what appeared to be a small marijuana growing operation inside.

The afternoon blaze caused an estimated $160,000 in damage to the house and $25,000 in damage to the family’s possessions, according to a fire department report. An adult couple and at least one teenage boy lived in the two-story home, which was insured and valued at $225,000, said Capt. Jim Judkins, a fire department spokesman.

Dog rescued from I-81 cliffs

Dog rescued from I-81 cliffs – SWVAToday.com
A mixed-breed bird dog spent at least a day and a presumably sleepless night on a narrow, sloping limestone ledge in the cliffs along Interstate 81 between Chilhowie and Seven Mile Ford.
On Thursday afternoon a southbound trucker spotted the dog perched about 40 feet above the trucks and cars and drove to the Chilhowie Fire Department to report it. Minutes later, firefighters and Smyth County animal control officers stood at the base of the high cliffs looking up at a beleaguered dog looking down.

Flagpole honors firefighter who died in Sept. 11 attacks

Flagpole honors firefighter who died in Sept. 11 attacks – News – inRich.com
By JAMIE C. RUFF
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER

In a solemn, emotional ceremony, Powhatan County’s Macon District Volunteer Fire Department dedicated a firehouse flagpole yesterday in honor of a New York City firefighter killed in the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

Firefighter Kevin M. Prior, 28, who was also a member of the Bellmore, N.Y., Volunteer Fire Department on Long Island, was in a squad headed for the 30th floor of the World Trade Center’s North Tower when it collapsed. His parents and other relatives came to Powhatan for the ceremony.

“Kevin was so proud to be part of the brotherhood [of firefighters], and he knew that no matter where he went he could walk into any firehouse and feel at home,” his mother, Marion Prior, told the crowd of about 70 people.

Firefighters battle late-night Hampton fire

Firefighters battle late-night Hampton fire — dailypress.com
HAMPTON – Fire did about $50,000 in damages to a house on Libby Street in Hampton last night.

Firefighters were able to contain and extinguish the blaze, which was reported at 10:38 p.m. No one was home at the time of the fire, and there were no injuries reported.

Investigators have not yet identified a cause for the fire.

One Dead in Arlington House Fire

One Dead in Arlington House Fire|ABC 7 News
One person is dead after a two-alarm fire in a single-family Arlington home Friday morning. The blaze broke out about 5:30 a.m. in the 5500 block of S. 4th Street.

Fire crews found the body on the first floor of the home.

Firefighters’ Efforts Hampered By Massive McLean Blaze

Firefighters’ Efforts Hampered By Massive McLean Blaze – News Story – WRC | Washington
Authorities said the flames became so heavy that they had to stop fighting the fire from inside the house. They said the fire began in the basement and spread to the attic.

Firefighters were stationed outside the house to make sure the flames did not spread to any nearby homes.

Authorities said three families lived inside the building but the house was undergoing renovations and no one was home at the time.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

STORM COVERAGE UPDATE: National Weather Service Says A Tornado Touched Down in Big Stone Gap

STORM COVERAGE UPDATE: National Weather Service Says A Tornado Touched Down in Big Stone Gap – News – TriCities.com
The National Weather Service visited Big Stone Gap, Virginia today. Meteorologists said a tornado touched down in Big Stone Gap. They classified the twister as an EF-1, which means wind speeds ranged from 86 to 110 miles per hour. The National Weather Service said the tornado destroyed 6 homes. Fifteen homes had major damage and 25 had minor damage. Meteorologists with The Weather Service said th

Update: Bus That Burst into Flames was Recently Inspected

CBS 6 – WTVR, Richmond Va – Update: Bus That Burst into Flames was Recently Inspected
The day after a tour bus caught fire on Interstate 295 in Prince George, CBS 6 Tracy Sears is allowed on the burned out shell. The seats are completely melted, half of the roof is missing and personal belongings and souvenirs are reduced to ashes. The bus caught fire after a left tire blew out and its believed that the friction from that blowout caused the bus to burst into flames.

The five year old bus passed its latest safety inspection just over a month ago after fixing some minor problems including burnt out lightbulbs.

Millions in fire and rescue stations planned for Suffolk

Millions in fire and rescue stations planned for Suffolk | HamptonRoads.com | PilotOnline.com
SUFFOLK

A building is on fire in the northern end of the city. Three engines, a ladder truck and a medic unit respond.

That’s the majority of Suffolk’s Department of Fire & Rescue resources in the area, Deputy Fire Chief Brian Spicer said. Engines would have to be moved from downtown and volunteers would be shuffled in case of another incident.

In this vast and growing city, “it happens all the time,” Spicer said.

Seven new or expanded fire and rescue stations are planned across Suffolk over the next decade, beginning with a $7.9 million Kings Fork Public Safety Center in fiscal 2008-09.